In case you haven’t noticed I have 3 passions in my life…my baseball, my stitching and my feline children. The order is not necessarily significant as on any given day I will be more passionate about one than the other, depending on my whims.

At this time as we arrive at the 11th anniversary of the day that changed our lives forever, I will start with my stitching. We were in Washington DC as that was the city of choice for that years American Needlepoint Guild’s annual seminar. It was a wonderful seminar, with amazing classes, a great venue and lots of sightseeing. I rented a car for one day and drove to Camden Yards to see a baseball game! Went to the White House, the US Capital, the Washington Monument, Lincoln & Jefferson Memorial, National Church, Smithsonian, Korean & Vietnam War Veterans Memorials, just about everything… Jo Christensen of “The Bible” fame gave me a private guided tour of all the monuments at night, which was a sight to remember. We reminisced about that evening when she shared time with us in the NeedleDeeva room this past weekend at market.

I left for home on September 10th, well what I consider to be home now after all these years, even though I am originally from New York. At that time in my life I was working as a chef for a large west coast restaurant corporation and every Tuesday we would report to work at 0dark30 to take inventory. I walked into work and Dave, our general manager says to me “I think you better come into the office and look at this” I was absolutely speechless as I watched the events on tv unfold and sat there mesmerized thinking I just don’t believe what I am seeing.

My heart ached for the city that never sleeps, and then our nation’s capital and then the city in Pennsylvania and all that were touched by this senseless act of violence. Some of our stitching friends never made it home from Washington DC that fateful day and many of our family, friends and loved ones never did either. I spoke to my mother later in the day and I remember her telling me “well you know George is okay” …”well Mother yes I know the President is okay, I just saw him on tv”… “no I mean your cousin George” who worked at the Pentagon.

The healing began and really for some of us, we will never be healed…but it was time for baseball to be there, to try to help us forget just a little bit, even if it was for just a moment. It was time and I so remember the game at Busch stadium when Jack Buck gave that amazing speech, so moving, so memorable. It was time and again I so remember the game at Yankee Stadium when the some of the rescue workers threw out the opening pitch. It was time and again I so remember the game at Shea Stadium when Mike Piazza hit that towering home run and the place erupted. Oh and the World Series that year…that was considered the best ever…well until it was upstaged by last years!

This is one of the classes that I took that year at seminar. The Washington DC teapot designed and taught by Tony Minieri…yes I will never forget